Hitching and gagging attachment



No. 6|4,0l 5. Patented Nov. 8, I898.

A. E. LOTS TROM. HITCHING AND GAGGING ATTACHMENT.

(Application filed Nov. 2, 1897.) (N 0 M o d e I 2 Shasta-Sheet I.

INVENTOR:

' Z 62 EL z 2 1 I 21 6' I (I 0 5 70 11 Ailarnzy s 1. NORRIS versus co, PHoTo-Llmm, wnsmwamnv n No. 6|4,0l5. Patented Nov. 8, I898.

' A. E. LOTSTRUM.

HITCHING AND GAGGING ATTACHMENT.

(Application filed Nov. 2. 1897.)

(" e 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- TTG. 7,

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

ALEXANDER E. LOTSTROM, OF SPOKANE, YVASHINGTON;

H ITCHING AND GAGGING ATTACHMENT.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,015, dated November 8, 13558; Application filed Nbirmljer 2, 1897. Serial No'. 657,185. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E. Lo'r- STROM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combination Hitching Strap and Gagging Attachment for Bridles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to a novel and improved combination hitching strap and gagging attachment for bridles; and its object is to provide a device of this character having movable jaw-pieces adapted to be operated from a vehicle to partialy throttle and subdue a fractious horse or by a suddenand forceful pull of the horse on the hitchingstrap to prevent breaking of said strap or dragging of a weight carried. thereby.

My invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combination of parts for carrying the same into practical effect, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming part of this specification like reference characters designate corresponding parts of the invention throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a-perspective view of a hitching-strap and gagging attachment embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a bottom plan view; Fig. 3, a longitudinal sectional view of same; Fig. 4, a side view of one of the bit-attaching pieces; Fig. 5, a bottom plan and an edge View of one of the metallic jaw-piece plates; Fig. 6, an enlarged detail View of a portion of one of the metallic jaw-piece plates and its connecting-loop, showing the tension-spring attached thereto; and Fig. 7, a plan and a side edge view of the draw-strap.

The numeral 1 in the accompanying drawings represents my improved bridle attachment, which in practice extends beneath the lower jaw of the horse. This attachment comprises in its construction two oppositelydispos'ed jaw pieces or clamps 2 3, adapted to normally bear lightly against opposite sides of the horses jaw, each consisting of a curved metallic stiffening or backing plate 4 and a soft facing of leather, rubber, or padded material 5, riveted or otherwise secured thereto. The said backing-plate is bifurcated at one end, and the two oppositely-disposed parallel arms 6 of the bifurcation are bent to form semicircular bearings 7 to receive the crossbars of buckles 8, said bearings being provided with slots 9 for passage of the buckletongues. The opposite or lower end of the backing-plate is bent or turned back upon the body of the plate to form bearing-loops 10, separated by a slot 11, as shown, for a purpose hereinafter described.

The attachment is supported upon the bridle by segmental-shaped leather bit-pieces 12, each having a central orifice 13 and two parallel pendent apertured straps 14, which are secured to the buckles 8. are fitted upon the bit-bar, which extends through the orifices 13 thereof, inside of the bit-rings and are provided with segmental stiffening and wear plates 14 to prevent undue wear of the leather from contact with said bar.

To the clamping-piece backing-plates i are secured metallic guide-loops 15 16, each having one of its side bars provided with a frictionroller 17 and its opposite side bar 18 fitted in the bearing-loop 10 of said plate. Each guide-loop is further provided with a central cross-bar 19. A spiral spring 20 encompassesthe side bar 18 of each guide-loop and has one of its ends bearing against the upper side of the plate 4 and its other end rigidly secured to the said central cross-bar 19 of the guide-loop.

The jaw-clamping pieces are connected to move in unison toward each other by a drawstrap 21, having its inner end fitted in the guide-opening between the bars 18 19 ofthe These bit-pieces guide-loop 16 and provided with a transverse I stop-plate 22 to abut against the said bar 19 and prevent disconnection of said end from the loop. The draw-strap is also provided contiguous to said stop-plate with a longitudinal slot 23 for passage of the end of the spring 20, secured to the bar19, to permit the strap to slide freely without interfering with said spring. The main portion of the draw-strap extends across to the guide-loop 15 and around the friction-roller 17 thereon,

and thence doubles back and has its outer free end passed over the friction-roller 17 on the guide-loop 16. A ring 24 is secured to the said outer free end of the draw-strap. To this ring a gag-rein leading to the vehicle or a hitching-strap attached to a post or carrying a weight may be secured.

Fig. 1 of the drawings shows the parts of the device in normal operative position. From this it will be seen that the guide-loops 15 16 are normally held at an angle by their springs so as to maintain the two jaw-pieces in proper relation, and it will be understood that said springs will permit the jaw-pieces to yield or move outwardly to a limited extent to accommodate for ordinary movements of the horses jaws and head without affecting the drawstrap. The draw-strap is also held taut by the springs. IVhen, however, a gag-rein at tached to the ring 24 is pulled or the horse attempts by a forceful pull to free himself from a hitching-strap or to drag a weight carried thereby, the free end of the draw-strap 21 will be drawn outward and the jaw-clamping pieces moved simultaneously inward to clamp the lower jaw and press upon the windpipe of the horse. By this means a fractions horse may be readily and conveniently controlled and deterred from bolting.

I desire it understood that I do not limit myinvention t0 the specific construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, as it is obvious that slight changes and modifications of the parts may be made within the scope of the invention without dcparting from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A gagging attachment for bridles, comprising a pair of clamps adapted to bear upon opposite sides of a horses jaw, a guide-loop connected with each clamp, a spring acting on each guide-loop to press the same outwardly at an angle to the clam p, and a sliding draw-strap extending through said guideloop and adapted when drawn upon to move said clamps toward each other, substantially as described.

2. A gagging attachment for bridles, comprising a pair of clamps adapted to bear upon opposite sides of a horses jaw, bit-attaching pieces 'adjus'tably secured thereto, a guide loop connected with each clamp, a spring acting on each guide-loop to press the same outwardly at an angle to the clamp, and a sliding draw-strap extending through said guideloops and adapted when drawn upon to move said clamps toward each other, substantially as described.

3. A gagging attachment for bridles, comprising a pair of clamps each having a metallic backing-plate carrying buckles at one end and provided with a bearing-loop at the other end, a bit-strap adjustably secured to the buckle of each plate, a guide-loop fitted in the bearing-loop of each plate, and a draw-strap sliding in said guide-loops, substantially as described.

4. A gagging attachment for bridles, comprising a pair of clamps each having a metallic backing-plate carrying buckles at one end and provided with a bearing-loop at the other end, a bit-strap secured to the buckle of each plate, a guide-loop fitted in the bearing-loop of each plate, a spring acting on each guide loop to hold it at an outward angle to the plate, and a draw strap sliding in said guideloops, substantially as described.

5. A gagging attachment for bridles, comprising a pair of jaw-clamping pieces, each consisting of a backing-plate having a facing of leather and provided with parallel arms at one end having semicircular bearings and at the other end with bearing-loops separated by a slot, buckles secured in said semicircular bearings, a guide-loop fitted in said bearing-loop, a spring encompassing the guideloop and having one of its ends bearing against the backing-plate and its other end fixed to the guide-loop, bit -pieces having straps engaging said buckles, and a drawstrap extending through said guide-loops and connecting the jaw-clamping pieces,said strap having at its inner end a stop-plate and at its outer end a ring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER E. LOTSTROM.

Witnesses:

J OHN 13. lines, J. MELVIN THOMAS. 

